Students’ “dependent” status not affected by voter address

There have been a number of rumors and some false statements about registering college students to vote. Some of this misinformation concerns the dependent/independent status of students. Traditional aged college students often claim their parent’s home as their own while they are in college. Their parents also claim the student on their tax forms and students claim their parents income on their FAFSA. Most traditionally aged college students (unless they’re married or have filed a petition with their school to be independent) are categorized as dependent students.

Being a dependent student has quite a few ramifications such as often receiving less financial aid (because students are claiming their parents income) and the ability to stay on their parent’s health insurance plan while attending school.

What is very clear, however, is the location a student chooses to register to vote does NOT affect their dependent status. This is contrary to the beliefs of many people and the statements of some election officials. It is actually a personal decision whether a student should register in their hometown or where they are attending school. In my opinion, it comes down to which location do students feel closer to? If a student feels closer to their hometown and wants to vote on candidates and issues that affect their hometown, then they should either arrange to vote at home in person (either by early voting or on election day) or by absentee ballot. If a student has fallen in love with their college town or city their institution resides in, then they should register to vote there so they can influence the policies that affect their adopted hometown.

This is the official word from the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office:

“A student may vote using his or her Ohio school residence address. However, the student may not also vote an absentee ballot where he or she last lived (e.g. with one or more parent or guardian). When a college student votes from his or her school address, the school residence is considered to be the place to which the student’s habitation is fixed and to which, whenever the student is absent, the student intends to return, and is considered by the student to be his or her permanent residence at the time of voting.”

Here is in article from Inside Higher Ed that explains a particular situation in Virginia, but it applies broadly to other states:

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/09/03/voting